


Reassessment

by kronette



Series: In Bed [6]
Category: Red Dwarf
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Mild Kink, Season/Series 10
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-02
Updated: 2013-10-09
Packaged: 2017-12-28 05:09:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/988063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kronette/pseuds/kronette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set a few weeks after <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/752870/chapters/1405999">Static</a>, Lister and Rimmer are searching for new quarters since theirs was destroyed. An article of clothing belonging to Lister emerges in their clean-out and Rimmer's curiosity gets the better of him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hints

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on an 'interlude' piece to segue into the next section of this series, but couldn't come up with a beginning. The shots of Lister from series 7 did the trick. I haven't written in over a month, so thank you, RDS, for giving my brain (and libido) a kick in the ass.

In the times when they weren't touching each other or going over the main computer to assess the damage done during the electromagnetic surges, Rimmer and Lister searched for new quarters. After Kryten had been repaired, he had attempted to salvage their quarters with minimal success. Most of their items had been waterlogged or smoke damaged, but Kryten did an admirable job of recovering as much as possible. The beds, kitchen and overall living space, however, were a wash. 

So, tired and still dirty from the day's repair schedule, Rimmer and Lister tried to agree on a new living space. Officer's quarters were the obvious choice as they were closest to the drive room, with the bonus of the much bigger bed that Rimmer had been wanting for years. But something was wrong with each one. Kochanski's had too many memories for Lister, while Todhunter's status as Rimmer's superior officer left him cold. Brown's quarters were out, as Rimmer couldn't help but remember the terrible things he'd done to Lister's body while he'd still been soft light. Back then, swapping bodies with Lister was the only way he could touch anything. He squeezed Lister's hand as they left Brown's quarters and headed into the last room in the officer's section: the captain's quarters. 

Rimmer barely had time to register the spacious living area before he was tugged toward the dominant piece of furniture in the room: the king size bed. 

"No, Lister, wait –oof," Rimmer exclaimed as he landed face-first on top of the covers. He rolled over and glared at his chuckling lover. "Honestly, you are such a child sometimes."

Lister's eyebrows wagged suggestively, belying the tiredness Rimmer could see in his eyes. "One of us has to be the carefree, wild one willing to try just about anything." 

Rimmer sat up a bit and rested his elbow on the bed, propping his head in his hand. "Really? Remind me again who suggested mango juice would taste incredible off of your body?" He watched with satisfaction as Lister's pupils dilated. 

He shivered as Lister's gaze raked over his body. "Who had the clever idea that neckties were better put to use around your wrists?" 

Damn Lister and his seductive gaze. He felt his body responding despite the late hour. His voice wasn't as steady as he'd hoped as he rasped, "Who told you that your other senses would be heightened if you couldn't see?" He leaned toward Lister as his lover's gaze dropped to his mouth.

"You want to christen this bed right now, Arnold?" Lister's voice was pitched low, a lover's tone. "Declare this place ours?" 

"You ready to mark your territory?" Rimmer breathed, tilting his head down so his lips brushed Lister's with each syllable. He groaned lightly as he felt Lister's hand stroke his hip. 

Lister's murmured, "I'm already yours," was nearly drown out as Rimmer devoured his mouth, any sense of time or place forgotten as they relearned each other. 

Later, spent and panting and sprawled across the bed, Rimmer turned his head to look at Lister, half asleep. "I told you a bigger bed would be better." 

Lister's teasing words had no heat behind them. "Always have to be right, don't you, Rimmer?"

He hummed as he pretended to think. "I _am_ always right, Lister. You just don't appreciate it." A playful smirk was on his lips as Lister rolled toward him, that transformed into a confused frown as Lister's hand caressed his neck. 

Lister's voice was far too serious for Rimmer's mood. "I haven't in the past, but I do now. I trust you and I love you, Rimmer." 

A surge of love, lust and just about every positive emotion that Lister had nurtured over their relationship left him shaking. Unable to answer through the tightness in his throat, he slipped his arms around Lister and drew him up tight against his body, pressing his mouth against Lister's shoulder to center himself. 

That was how they fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms.

=-=-=-=-=

Having selected their new quarters, now came the daunting task of moving their belongings. It wasn't just clothes and books; it was odd mementos they'd picked up on strange planets and derelict ships. It was the make-do presents they gave each other at holidays and birthdays. It was the sentimental trap that shouldn't mean as much as it did, simply because there wasn't much new left on the ship they hadn't uncovered. It was two lifetimes and two lives merged into a perfect chaos. Without discussing it, Rimmer knew that Lister felt as he did: they would recreate what they had as closely as they could, so it felt like home. 

Since they had to move several floors up, they gathered a row of trolleys and started stacking their things on them, Rimmer in an orderly fashion and Lister haphazardly adding his to the pile. 

"Will you take _some_ care, Lister? You don't know where I've placed my breakables," Rimmer whined as he watched Lister throw his shoes on top of a stack of shirts. 

"'Course I do," Lister retorted with all the self-confidence of a man who didn't have a goited clue what he was talking about. "You've always packed the same. Shoes on the bottom. Trousers, shirts, neckties, socks and underwear on top of them. There," Lister pointed to the third trolley sat outside their door, "Are your mugs, photos, box of mementos, magazines, vids and music." Lister's finger moved to the second trolley. "And that has all the dirty books you still claim you don't own." 

Rimmer pointedly didn't look at the trolley that housed his collection of Renaissance art books and a few choice magazines that had come in handy where his relationship with Lister was concerned. "Yes, well." He pointed frantically at the stack of games Lister had accumulated over the years. "Make sure to get those, miladdo. And double-check the lockers." 

Lister gave him a saucy wink. "Yes, dear." 

He wrinkled his nose in mock annoyance and continued to pack. He yelped as a large, white _thing_ sailed past his head and missed the trolley it had been aimed at. He immediately turned and glared at Lister.

The cheeky grin was in full force as Lister returned his look sheepishly. "Whoops."

With a put-upon sigh, Rimmer bent down to retrieve the item – a pair of off-white long johns. "Where did these come from?" he asked. 

Lister shrugged and turned back to clearing out his locker. "Don't remember. Found them on the ship somewhere." 

Rimmer shook them out and eyed them critically. They weren't pristine white, but they were in good shape, especially for Lister. No obvious holes or mysterious stains, though upon closer inspection he could tell the crotch was stretched out. Rimmer's mouth went dry. Then he started salivating. He had to lick his lips several times before he was able to call out, "I haven't seen you in these." 

A distracted, "Eh?" told him that Lister wasn't paying attention to him. 

He turned around, his hands now clenching the soft material and repeated, "I haven't seen you in these." 

Lister poked his head out from the locker. He had a far-away look in his eyes as he answered, "No, I guess you wouldn't have. I found them after you left. Didn't bother with them for long." His gaze came back to Rimmer's with an almost audible snap. "What difference does it make? You've seen me full on naked and had me twisted in some interesting positions. There's nothing that'll show you haven't seen before." 

Rimmer licked his lips again, and he saw Lister tracking the movement with interest. Good. The oblivious bastard needed to get hot and bothered, because he was picturing Lister in the long johns, the stretched out section clearly emphasizing Lister's second biggest endowment – his heart was first, foremost and always. "Put it on?" he entreated.

He was barely able to let go as Lister walked over and covered his hands with his own, taking the garment from his finely trembling hands. He didn't know why he was so turned on by the simple cotton. Lister was right: he'd seen him naked and upended over a table and had that monster cock nearly choking him as he tried to suck it down. 

Lister stripping naked in front of him had always caused him to lose his mind. Watching Lister pull on that white cotton made Rimmer do something he hadn’t done in quite awhile: he whimpered. He had to keep swallowing as Lister tucked and adjusted himself, settling his half-hard penis comfortably inside the long johns before pulling up the top and sliding his arms into the proper holes. 

In a reverse striptease, Lister started to do up the buttons, keeping his gaze locked on Rimmer's. Lister's eyes had a hint of wildness in them, sprinkled over the heated desire that was threatening Rimmer to strip the damn thing off of him and swallow the erection that was starting to fill the crotch area. As the material stretched more, another whimper escaped. 

Lister's voice broke the spell he was under, but only exacerbated his need. "God, I want to lick you all over. I love the sounds you make." 

He discovered his hands were clenched into fists at his sides with the effort to not touch. "Smegging fucking hell, I could eat you alive," he growled, in the next breath letting out a low groan as the material slid off of Lister's shoulder, pulled down by the strain on the bottom half of the long johns. 

Lister stopped buttoning and let his hands fall to his sides. "If you want me, I'm all yours, love." 

He didn't think he could walk with his rock-hard erection straining his pants, but he couldn't deny himself any longer. He dropped to his knees and pressed his face into Lister's stomach, mouthing his way down the heat he could feel through the thin cotton. 

A shattered moan drifted down from above his head. "Don't tease. Need you." 

Always one to follow orders, Rimmer made quick work of the lower buttons. His hands were on Lister's arse, holding him steady as he sucked on the head, loving the sounds he was drawing out of his lover. When Lister's hand gripped his shoulder and the other landed on his head, he moved his hands to stroke the base of Lister's erection, feeling it thicken even further. His own erection was bordering on painful but he concentrated on bringing Lister off, wanting to taste, wanting to hear, wanting to feel. 

He was rewarded a moment later, swallowing what he could and letting the rest drip down the front of his shirt. He helped Lister to sink to the floor before he collapsed, immediately burying his face in Lister's neck as his hips sought out anything to rub against. 

With a relieved groan, he felt Lister's hand slide into his pants. He didn't last long, so on edge that he climaxed after only a few strokes. As he came down from his high, he heard Lister chuckling. 

"What?" he mumbled into Lister's still-clothed shoulder.

"Kinky bastard. What'll you come up with next?" Lister teased.

Feeling dangerous and immensely satisfied, he flirted back, "Wouldn't you like to know?" 

The teasing was gone from Lister's voice as he replied, "Yeah, I would."


	2. Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Down in the specialty shops, Rimmer discovers a new aspect of himself and he's not sure what it means for his relationship with Lister.

Jupiter Mining Corporation supplied its ships with a plethora of life's necessities, but specialty shops were still needed on the bigger ships like _Red Dwarf_. To find replacements for the items they couldn't salvage, Lister and Rimmer looked through the inventory logs of the vast cargo hold. A few futile days later, both men were irritated with the logs and each other.

"Without a visual confirmation of what that couch looks like, I'm not sending Kryten down to the hold to get it. We need his help with the external sensors and it will take half a day just to get down there," Rimmer argued. "And just what's wrong with the table and chairs from the Officer's Club?" He smoothed his hands over the top of the table he'd selected with a pleased smile curving his lips. 

"I'm not saying there's anything wrong with them," Lister replied with a hint of exasperation. "They're fine for eating, but I need something to relax on; somewhere to stretch my legs."

Rimmer crossed his arms and frowned down at the inventory log. "I _might_ be okay with it, _if_ the image database wasn't corrupted. 'Accented red leather couch' isn't very descriptive. It could look like something my grandmother used. It could be uncomfortable. What would you do then?" 

Lister shrugged. "We can test it out before dragging it up here." 

Rimmer's eyes widened in surprise. "We'll both go? What about the medi bot?" The main computer was still churning through the data acquired after the electromagnetic interference, but that didn't stop it from spitting out reams of reports on systems that weren't responding. Kryten was in charge of prioritizing the repairs, but every day something more critical came up. They'd learned only that morning that the medi bot had taken a severe hit and the independent database would have to be restored from backup, assuming they could find the backup disk. 

Lister gave his shoulder a squeeze. "The ship's held together this long. Another day won't put us in crisis." 

His eyes narrowed as he gave Lister his best disbelieving look. "You are joking, aren't you?" 

Lister broke into his eternal optimistic grin. Despite his annoyance, Rimmer's heart skipped a beat. Without realizing, he'd reached up to stroke his thumb along the corner of Lister's mouth. "You're beautiful when you smile like that," he murmured. His hand curled around the back of Lister's neck, guiding him down for a soft kiss. 

=-=-=-=

For all his love of planning, scheduling and timetables, Rimmer could still be naïve when it came to the obvious. He wasn't complaining about his oversight now, not with his hands buried in Lister's hair, guiding that sinful mouth down on his erection. 

The Xpress Lift was horribly misnamed, as it took a good three hours to traverse the 389 levels needed to reach the cargo hold. Rimmer hadn't taken that into account when Lister suggested they go to collect their new couch themselves, rather than send Kryten and the skutters to do it. 

"You're really gagging for it, aren't you?" he murmured, eyes half-closed as he watched Lister suck more into his stretched mouth. 

A half-pained moan reverberated around his cock, causing his arousal to tick up another notch. He was breathing hard with the effort to keep his hips still, yet he massaged Lister's scalp with his fingertips, encouraging his lover to swallow him down. It was a torture he was more than willing to undergo; a fine balance between discipline and pleasure. Lister had called it a masochistic tendency. 

He hissed and smacked the back of his head against the wall as Lister did that trick with his tongue. "Smegging goited fucking shit," he growled. "Do that again." 

Rather than comply, Lister pulled off of him, panting heavily. "You're a pushy ass, aren't you?" he said with a sly grin. 

He tightened his hands on Lister's head, but the bastard didn't move. He groaned and shifted his hips. "Stop being a tease, Lister. I want to feel my dick stretch your throat." 

He licked his lips as he watched Lister swallow, clearly anticipating that particular move as well. "I want that too, but didn't you say, 'I'd love to see you stretched out beneath me on that bench' after we got in the lift?" 

That image exploded in full Technicolor in his head and he groaned louder, his hips thrusting into the air helplessly. A sensuous fog was dulling his higher thinking as base instincts demanded attention. "Whatever you want, Dave. Anything you want." He pushed Lister's head gently, but instead of going down toward his groin, Lister shifted upward to kiss him. 

Slick and hot, urgent yet still loving, Rimmer lost himself in the kiss. He felt himself being guided, his body shifted until he was flat on his back on the bench, Lister still intently focused on his mouth. He whined absently as cool air swirled between them, missing the heat of Lister's body in the few seconds they were apart. 

His reward was twofold: Lister's naked skin pressed against his, and a tube of slick was pressed into his hand. Lister's eyes were as dark as Rimmer had ever seen them as he broke their kiss to murmur, "Make love to me, Arnold." 

With most of his concentration on preparing Lister from their awkward position, he could only shudder and make embarrassing sounds as Lister nipped and licked his neck. "Keep that up and this isn't going to last long," he warned with a voice that refused to be smooth and calm. No part of him was calm, especially when Lister settled fully on him, the line of heat from Lister's erection branding his abdomen. He dug his fingers into Lister's hips and kissed him fiercely, all heat and urgent need and _now_. 

It took everything in him and then some to hold steady while Lister sank down on him. The muscles in his jaw were hurting as every part of him tensed, trying to think of anything but the raw energy crackling between them. Seeing Lister's erection hovering just above his abdomen sent his desire onto a whole new level of need. He bit his lip to keep from screaming at Lister to hurry up; the slow drag on his cock was driving him insane. 

Abruptly, Lister stopped moving and his lips parted on a silent moan. His limbs were shaking, his chest was rising and falling erratically with his ragged breaths. Rimmer knew that look; he'd brushed the sweet spot inside his lover. His hands tightened on Lister's hips as he looked – begged – Lister with his eyes. Rimmer's heart was just about to thump through his chest when Lister grunted, "Do it." 

In that split second, the need to bury himself deeply and immediately in his lover subsided. With slow, deliberate movements, Rimmer finished seating himself in Lister, his lover's surprised sounds encouraging him to keep the pace. Lister made the most gorgeous sounds Rimmer had ever heard, rising to a high-pitched groan whenever Rimmer hit his sweet spot. 

Rimmer wanted them to stay like this forever – joined, loving, giving and receiving pleasure on so many different levels they may as well have been one person. But the familiar surges were encroaching on his wish and his body's demands wouldn't be denied any longer. His hand joined Lister's on a downstroke, knowing what a powerful feeling it was when your lover helped get you off. 

He was barely breathing, his sole focus their rush to completion. Moved beyond words, he watched as Lister fell apart first, the warm splashes coating his stomach. Lister's climax set his off and he couldn't help but slam his hips upward again and again, half-formed cries dying in his throat. 

He had trouble breathing with Lister's full weight on his chest, but he had no desire to move. He wasn't sure he _could_ move, his muscles were still twitching from his intense climax. He nuzzled at Lister's cheek, nudging his skin until his mouth covered the full lips. 

Lister hummed brokenly into the kiss, giving him a fond, tired look as they broke apart. "How's about some sleep, yeah? We've got two hours left, anyway."

Rimmer's hand slid down Lister's back to settle over one cheek. "I could sleep," he confirmed tiredly, shifting both of them until he was comfortable. "All right?"

A contented sigh was his answer. He fell asleep to the sound of Lister's rhythmic snoring. 

=-=-=-=-=

Having located the couch that was promptly dubbed 'Make out central' by Lister and dragging it to the lift, Lister insisted on checking out the row of specialty shops. Rimmer had never been one for window shopping, but Lister's enthusiasm was contagious and he found himself looking eagerly at the things that Lister insisted were essential for their new quarters. A new cooker wouldn’t go amiss, and neither would the coffee maker or the tea kettle that Rimmer found. After each shop, they piled their new acquisitions on a trolley they'd parked in the middle of the corridor. 

It wasn't a hardship to spend the time alone with Lister, especially if it got Rimmer out of the tediousness of rewiring. At least the astro-nav exams were mentally challenging; stripping, twisting and reseating only sounded fun when put in the context of sex. 

"Hey, check it out!" Lister dragged him to a shop with _Galaxy_ emblazoned over the doorway. 

Instinctually, Rimmer held back from going near the entrance. Something about the name…he'd heard it whispered among crewmates; the ones you steered clear of late at night. "Lister, this is a sex shop," he squeaked. 

Lister's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Yeah. Chen told me that he heard from someone on Theta shift that a mate of theirs had gone there with his girlfriend for a vibrator and were never heard from again. Something about a dungeon master making them his slaves." 

"Not helping," he muttered as his heart began a wild rhythm that Cat could use for a dance number. 

His hand was squeezed reassuringly. "I'm only teasing. Come on, let's have a look." 

The lights were only on in the front part of the store, but when they stepped inside, the full interior was lit all the way to a wall of doors on the far side. Rimmer's eyes widened, then got wider as he tried to take in everything at once. Glass cases lined the main path through the store. Set behind them were shelves and cabinets filled with leather, metal and plastic items. His eyes darted to the things hanging from the ceiling, mouth falling open at the leather and metal contraptions that hung like frozen meat in a freezer. 

He took a step backward as his gaze fell on the seven-foot tall wooden boxes next to the cages that barely looked large enough to house a dog. This was a far cry from their teasing experiments with ties and blindfolds. He was sick with nerves, his stomach souring as he caught sight of a wall filled with whips, canes and other things that looked painful if slapped against skin. 

"Hey. _Hey_ ," Lister's soft voice called to him. "I didn't know it would be like this. You okay?" 

He struggled to find his voice. "You're not – liking any of this, are you?" he choked out, fearing his eyes would fall out of his head as he spied a straight jacket beside something that looked like a body bag. 

"Smeg, no," Lister answered, though Rimmer thought he heard a hint of hesitation in his voice. "I thought it would be a laugh, you know? Just to see what the fuss was about." There was no denying the hesitation that preceded Lister's admittance, "Okay, _maybe_ I thought about getting a cock ring." 

He started to repeat, "A cock…" before his brain went into overload. "For you or me?" 

Lister squirmed and his cheeks turned a ruddy color. "You haven't ever said, but I know sometimes you wish I wasn't so…determined to bring us off. I thought that if I restrained myself, I'd be forced to concentrate more on drawing it out, rather than racing to the finish line." 

Whatever wild scenarios Rimmer's imagination had supplied since stepping into the shop, they evaporated at Lister's admission. He pulled Lister into his arms and kissed him deeply, forgetting where they were as he tried to show Lister just how much it meant to him. "I love you, you daft bugger," he breathed as he released Lister's mouth. "And I love your enthusiasm. I doubt there's a more generous lover in the universe." 

He hummed his enjoyment as Lister's hands slid around to cup his arse. "Oh, I dunno about that, Rimmer," Lister teased. "I'd say the sexy man in my arms is pretty damn good in bed. And on the floor. And up against the wall…" 

He couldn't help the snort of laughter that burst out of him. "Yes, well, never let it be said that we're not adventurous." His gaze flicked around the shop, no longer terrified of what he was seeing. "Just maybe not quite _this_ adventurous." 

"You should pick something out for yourself," Lister encouraged. "Maybe something a bit sturdier than your neckties?" 

He followed Lister's gaze to the glass case to his right and saw an assortment of handcuffs. Furred, padded, metal, leather, some with chains connecting them to another set of cuffs, some connected to leather belts. Mesmerized, he drifted over to the case, forgetting that Lister was behind him as he imagined the leopard-print padded cuffs around Lister's wrists. 

Having Lister at his mercy wasn't exactly erotic, but he got a thrill up his spine at the thought of Lister not being able to touch him. Of taking his time with Lister, and Lister unable to do anything about it. He lifted the top of the case and picked up the cuffs, his fingers shaking as he tested the keys that were attached. The sharp 'click' snapped him out of his daze and he dropped the cuffs back into the case and turned away, breathing harshly. 

Feeling disoriented, he looked in a different case and shuddered at the studded collars, leashes, painful-looking clamps and clips. He'd joked about putting a collar on Lister, but that was in the heat of the moment, nothing more than flirtation. Staring down at the thin and thick, studded and plain leather circles, he grew hot all over. He tugged his suddenly too-tight uniform collar away from his throat, but it didn't ease the tightness in his chest. 

He didn't know Lister was beside him until the touch to his shoulder, and he jumped nervously. Lister's voice had an odd note to it as he asked, "Rimmer, you okay? You look pale, even for you." 

He licked his lips in anticipation of lying, but his voice had deserted him. He shook his head, unable to look away from the case. He tugged on his collar again and swallowed, letting out a shaky breath as his Adam's apple pressed against the material. As Lister's hand rested at the back of his neck, he moaned softly and leaned into the touch.

"You found something you like," Lister said unnecessarily, but it was the flatness of his tone that drew Rimmer out of his fugue.

"I know you don't –" he began, then swallowed and tried again. "I wouldn't want you to wear – it's not for you," he blurted out, feeling his face redden again. "I don't know that it's for me, either. I don't know," he finished helplessly. 

He watched with his heart in his throat as Lister lifted the lid on the case. "What is it you're wanting to touch?" 

It was on the tip of his tongue to deny it, but he unclenched his right hand and felt the twitching in his left; Lister must have seen it. He didn't answer; he couldn't answer, hot and confused and feeling the stirrings of arousal. 

His eyes locked on Lister's hand hovering over the items in the case, slowly making its way past the clamps to the collars. He drew a sharp breath as Lister blocked his view of a plain brown leather collar, about a half inch wide, with a small ring at the bottom edge. His fingers ached to touch it as Lister picked it up and inspected it. 

Lister's voice was solemn. "You're actually shaking, Arnold. Does it mean that much to you to wear something like this? Or is it just something you want to try on, to see how it feels?" 

He couldn't speak, just looked at Lister helplessly. He didn't know. He didn't know why he was fascinated by the circle of leather, why the thought of it around his neck was getting him hard or why he wanted Lister to be the one to place it there. 

He waited nervously as Lister disappeared behind him, the strip of leather appearing in his vision before it dropped out of view. His breathing deepened as the cool leather touched his neck. A cascade of emotions rocked him as Lister slipped the band through the buckle, lust and fear and _tighter_. His fingers scrabbled at his neck as he plead brokenly, "Off! Get it off." 

It tightened briefly as Lister undid the buckle, then Rimmer fell forward, barely catching his hands on the edge of the case. His heart was hammering, his breathing like he'd just done ten laps around the whole of the ship, his head swirling with confusion and his penis a hard length in his trousers. He went unresisting into Lister's arms, scared of what he'd felt; reassured by Lister's solid presence. 

When his breathing and heart rate were back to normal, Lister murmured in his ear, "Let's get out of here." 

He nodded and straightened, but as he spotted the collar thrown haphazardly back into the case, he paused. "It wasn't bad," he tried to explain, though he didn’t understand it himself. "It was too much." 

His gaze lingered over the other collars, only then noticing the small descriptive cards inside each circle. He located the one card without a collar and grew hot all over again as the meaning of the words registered: _Slave Collar. Declare to all your ownership of your love slave. Personalize your collar with an engraved pendant_. 

"Smeg, I didn't mean…I don't want…" he turned to Lister, mouth agape, but Lister wasn't looking at him. His expression was shuttered, his eyes downcast, and a sickening feeling began in Rimmer's gut: _Lister thought he wanted that_.

He took Lister by the shoulders and gave him a gentle shake. "I didn't see that card, I swear. I don't want to be smegging _owned_ , and I sure as hell don't want to own you. I love you, you're my _partner_ ," he emphasized. "We're equals in this relationship and I want to keep it that way." 

Slowly, Lister lifted his gaze to meet Rimmer's eyes. Rimmer glimpsed the relief shining from their depths before he was pulled into a tight hug. "I'm so glad you said that, Arnold. When I saw the way you were staring at that collar, I didn't know what to think. If it was something you needed, I didn't know if I'd be able to handle it. I don't want to own you, either. Partners is what we are, and partners is what we'll stay, yeah?" 

He nodded, the lump in his throat nearly choking him. No matter that he couldn't identify what it was that drew him to the collar in the first place, ownership or slave was _not_ a part of it. "I think it's best if we leave," he echoed Lister's earlier statement, and the lights shut off as they left the shop.


	3. Rumination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's back to the drudgery of fixing the ship, but this time it's taken a toll on the crew. Rimmer knows something has to change, and quickly, but he doesn't have a goited clue what that is.

It was group déjà vu as the weeks droned on and the list of damaged systems grew. A sense of despondency fell over the miniscule crew of _Red Dwarf_ as they found their repairs of the past few years all but destroyed. They were all disheartened and frustrated, but Lister seemed to take it the hardest. He would go quiet when he discovered a fried circuit board that he'd fixed months ago, or simply walk away from the jumble of melted wires that he'd sorted mere weeks before the EMI surge. 

Those times when Lister didn't seem able to bounce back to his usual cheerful self, Rimmer would declare a 'no work afternoon' and drag Lister back to their quarters for a snog and a quick hand job. More often than not, the distraction ended up with them falling asleep cuddled together. Even if it did put them further behind in fixing the ship, at least Rimmer was able to get Lister's mind off their problems for a little while. 

It didn't, however, stop Rimmer from obsessing as Lister snored quietly against his chest. What was happening to their relationship, that Rimmer was the one bolstering up Lister's waning optimism? Lister's outlook hadn't been dampened by the death of the crew, the knowledge that he was the last human, being three million years from Earth or falling in love with a hologram of the roommate who used to torment him. Even the ship falling apart around them wasn't the real cause of his melancholy. 

Nothing had rattled Lister - _nothing_ \- until he thought he'd lost Rimmer forever. It wasn't obvious right away, both of them too busy with sorting out new quarters and furnishings. It was when things settled into the day to day sameness of waking up, working on the ship's systems, kissing goodnight and falling back asleep that Rimmer began to worry about Lister's disintegrating mood. 

Lister had never said as much, but Rimmer wasn't so naïve nowadays to misinterpret or simply not see the changes. It was in the way Lister held him that much tighter at night, or how he made sure to grab Rimmer's hand whenever they walked together. Of all the little things, it was the urgency behind Lister's eyes when he said 'I love you;' like he wasn't sure he'd get the chance to say it to Rimmer again. 

Rimmer's theory was confirmed when he'd caught Lister staring at a lump of burned metal, his expression shattered as if the metal whispered to him, _that could have been Rimmer's light bee_. He'd slipped back down the corridor, not ready or able to talk to Lister about it.

Rimmer had suspected, somewhere deep down, that Holly had a plan when he resurrected him out of all of the crew. It was both terrifying and humbling to go from the vague direction 'keep Lister sane' to _knowing_ that he was Lister's lifeline. 

He didn’t feel worthy of such devotion, and he hated the idea that Lister would simply waste away if anything were to happen to him. That wasn't the Lister he'd known for twenty-odd years. That wasn't the man he'd fallen in love with. He wanted _his_ Lister back; he needed the sassy, lighthearted, loving man who would wake him with gentle kisses or naughty licks. Something had to change, and quickly, but he didn't have a goited clue what that was. 

He placed a distracted kiss to the top of Lister's head. Until something happened, he'd do his damnedest to be there for Lister, whatever he needed. If that meant using sex for a distraction, or enticing him into a game of poker, or taking _Starbug_ out for a spin, he would gladly do it. He wouldn't see Lister hurt, not for the whole of the universe. 

What they needed was a miracle, but those were in short supply three million and twenty-two years into deep space. With a weary sigh, he settled down to sleep. Maybe his dreams would give him the answers they both needed.

=-=-=-=-=

Rimmer scowled as he rubbed his forehead with the heel of his hand. He was elbows-deep in the panels outside the drive room, trying to decipher the computer's unhelpful error message: _FFFE: Soft device bus error recovered by the IOA_. All he'd been able to determine was that power wasn't flowing through the junction. He'd been at it two full days and had checked every connection and retested each circuit. The only thing left to do was replace the entire board. 

He stood and wiped his hands on his thighs, wrinkling his nose in disgust at the non-feel of holographic clothes. He felt naked without real clothes against his skin, but he refused to wear his uniform while he did filthy repair work. 

With one last glare at the stubborn panel, he marched toward the stack of spare parts they'd piled near the lift and located a suitable board. He grabbed the soldering iron and began the tedious chore of reconnecting the dozens of wires. He had to keep blinking as the strain of peering so closely at the board caused his eyes to water. 

"Smeg!" he exclaimed as he burned his fingertip on the last connection, then jumped as the monitor above his head crackled to life. "At least something's going right," he muttered. He checked that all the connections were working and that power was flowing through the whole junction. He picked up the panel cover, intending to replace it when a cacophony of sound blasted out of the speakers above his head. 

He fell back on his ass, startled by the sudden noise. The monitor flickered and rolled, its distorted images not matching up with the sound. Rimmer got to his feet and banged on the monitor a few times, but was afraid to ruin all the work he'd put into getting it to work. "Shut up, you stupid smegging thing!" he yelled at it, then gave the panel beside the open one a swift kick. 

The spluttering noise stopped abruptly, leaving an odd stillness. Muttering in frustration, he bent to retrieve the panel again when a familiar voice spoke above his head.

"What's happened, then?" 

The panel fell from nerveless fingers and Rimmer straightened, coming face to face with the monitor. 

Static lines broke up the screen, but there was a very distinct Holly-looking impression glaring out at him. "Oi, what have you lot gone and done now?" 

=-=-=-=-=

The celebration of Holly's return lasted the rest of the day. Lister whooped and hollered, nattering on about everything that had happened since Holly had disappeared. Kryten managed to interject here and there with his own observations, but Lister's enthusiasm would not be tamed. 

Cat sat next to Rimmer at the table, who was eyeing his lover. If Lister declared _one more time_ that he could kiss Holly, Rimmer was set to haul him off to their quarters and remind Lister just who he was supposed to be kissing. 

"So, I guess this makes you the hero," Cat declared, interrupting Rimmer's silent appreciation of Lister's happiness. 

Rimmer didn't look away from Lister as he answered absently, "I'm no hero." Lister was miming one of their narrow escapes from a GELF ship and Rimmer was focusing on the movements of his hands. While he'd never thought of Lister as graceful, the man moved with a sensuousness that was captivating. Rimmer knew how deceptively strong that body was, hidden beneath the boilersuit he wore for repair work. Desire flared briefly but he tamped it down; they would have to get back to work soon enough. 

It took him a moment to hear Cat's voice and realize the statement was addressed to him: "I bet _he_ thinks you are." 

Rimmer tore his gaze from Lister to study Cat, who nodded toward Lister. Rimmer shrugged absently. "I merely replaced the board. Something had obviously been damaged years ago without triggering an error report. It was luck; nothing more." 

Cat fixed him with a look of disbelief. "Bud, we went from no Holly for years, to having a computer to fix this rust bucket again. If I didn't think Happy Cheeks would kill me, _I'd_ kiss you." 

Rimmer was fairly certain he didn't keep the revulsion out of his expression at that image. "Thanks, I think." Before he could turn his attention back to Lister, the important part of Cat's explanation caught up to him. It had been so long since they'd had an AI that he'd forgotten what Holly used to do for them. "Holly can fix the ship," he said, hardly daring to breathe. 

Cat shrugged and started to file his nails. "He did it before, didn't he? Now that he's back, things can go back to normal around here. I have months of beauty sleep to catch up on. Just think how great I'll look once I'm fully rested!" 

Rimmer slowly turned his head to look at Lister's happy expression and felt as though his heart would burst. Even if Holly couldn't effect repairs, just having him back would make things so much easier. Doing visual inspections of the engines, life support, and other critical systems took a huge amount of time, but Holly could do it in the blink of an eye. No more having to travel 300 levels to see why a section of the ship stopped responding to the main computer – Holly would get a report instantly and either fix it or inform them what needed to be done. It was almost enough for Rimmer to believe that things _could_ get back to normal. Lister could start his mechanical engineering courses again and he…

Rimmer faltered. He didn't have anything he needed to get back to; not really. The past few years of his life had been focused on learning what it meant to be in a long-term relationship. He'd spent a good amount of time fixing various systems on the ship, but he had no desire to become an engineer like Lister. He hadn't thought of his career path in years, but passing the astronavs seemed…

He was distracted from that train of thought by Lister's lips on his. He instinctually returned the kiss, arms encircling Lister's waist as his face was cradled between strong hands. His thighs spread automatically, allowing Lister to step closer and deepen the kiss. When they parted, they were both breathing heavily. Rimmer's vision swam dizzyingly as he tried to bring Lister into focus. Their foreheads were pressed together, his hand at the back of Lister's neck. 

"You gorgeous, sexy genius," Lister murmured. "I'm going to take you back to our quarters and thank you until you forget your name." 

"I didn't do anything," he insisted while shivering at Lister's words. 

Lister's hand trailed down his neck, down his chest to rest on his thigh. "You repaired the section that brought Holly back. With Holly restored, we'll be able to fix the ship that much quicker." Rimmer's breathing deepened as Lister's thumb stroked along his penis, which stirred in response to the playful touch. "Less work means more time to play, Arn." 

It was a testament to how often he and Lister were caught in compromising positions that Rimmer didn't give a smeg that they were putting on a show. His right hand snaked around Lister's outer thigh to curve around his ass, giving it a firm squeeze. "Do you mean making love until the wee hours or _playing_ , David?" he whispered. 

Lister's hand tightened on his thigh, which pressed his thumb harder against Rimmer's growing erection. Lister's hitched moan was almost drown out by Rimmer's gasp. 

"What you do to me, Arnold Rimmer," Lister lamented breathlessly. 

"I'll happily do again and again," Rimmer murmured assurance to his lover. "You just have to keep asking. Or begging." 

Lister pulled back enough so that Rimmer could see the wildness in his eyes. "Room. Now."

Rimmer allowed himself to be hauled out of his chair and pulled from the room, his mouth curved in a smirk until Lister kissed it away. 

=-=-=-=-=

Safely behind their locked door, Rimmer's back hit the wall with a dull thud. He saw the challenge in Lister's eyes before his mouth was claimed in a rough kiss, retaliating by digging his fingers into Lister's ass to grind their erections together. 

He moaned as a sharp pain flared from the top of his shoulder; Lister's hand clutching at skin and holoclothes. 

Lister's voice was strained as he managed to unseal their mouths long enough to ask, "Real?"

Rimmer licked and nipped at Lister's swollen lips, his hands forcing Lister even closer. "Holo," he muttered. 

A low growl thrummed through both of them as Lister ordered, "Lose 'em." 

Still intent on Lister's mouth, Rimmer fumbled at his wrist control, turning the dial and pressing buttons until his clothes vanished, leaving him naked against his still-clothed lover. The effect was startling erotic: the rough texture of Lister's boilersuit dragging across his chest with each ragged breath, the cool zipper pressed against his heated skin… he moaned softly and flexed his hands on Lister's ass.

The frenzied desperation subsided as they lost themselves in each other, the white-hot desire cooling just enough so Rimmer could savor every touch to his sensitized body. The calluses on Lister's fingertips rough against his hip, the cool bite of the zipper as it scraped across his chest, the soft cotton of the suit rubbing against his growing erection, the glide of a nimble tongue against his. He dug his fingers into Lister's waist to draw him closer, wishing it was skin he was touching instead of that damn suit. 

Lister gentled their kiss until it was nothing more than feather-light touches. "I've missed you," he murmured on a breath. 

"Show me," Rimmer begged quietly. "Make me yours." He shivered as Lister's fingertips trailed down his arm to wrap around his left wrist, then lifted his arm to pin it to the wall. Heat flared low in Rimmer's gut as dark eyes met his, instructing him not to move. 

With a last, lingering kiss, Lister pulled out of his embrace and walked over to the bed. From the box on the nightstand, Lister pulled out a delicate, platinum chain. 

If Rimmer thought he was hard before, now he was flesh over a titanium-and-steel rod. It was his necklace, though it belonged to Lister. It was their compromise from the collar that had fascinated Rimmer back at the sex shop. It was a token that simply indicated who would guide their lovemaking. No other obligations, no dominance or submission, no punishments or rewards. 

A matching bracelet belonged to Rimmer, to slip over Lister's wrist on those nights when he wanted to take his time and savor his lover. Not that he didn't love it when Lister relentlessly drove him to the brink of madness, but the change of pace kept things interesting. They'd only worn them a few times, when one of them had a particular itch to scratch. It was a far better system than a necktie or handcuffs: this way, no one was hindered from touching – unless that was the particular itch that needed scratching. 

Now, the thin chain draped over Lister's hand as he held it up, his eyes searching Rimmer's for a sign that he wanted this, too. If he wasn't in the mood, Rimmer only needed to say no and Lister would put it away. 

Rimmer had no desire to turn Lister down, not with the life snapping in Lister's eyes, the playfulness that had been absent the past few weeks teasing at his lips. This was what Lister had needed; this was the miracle that Rimmer had been desperate for. Not just reactivating Holly, but finding a way to get beyond merely surviving the days and truly _living_. This would be their celebration. 

His body tingled with anticipation as he gave a short nod. He licked his lips as Lister stalked back over to him, the heated gaze raking his naked form. 

He just caught the wicked gleam in Lister's eyes before he was spun around to face the wall. He threw his arms out to catch himself, but Lister's arms around his chest stopped his momentum. He slowly placed his hands against the wall, not quite bracing, not quite steadying, as expectation built between them. They stayed like that, breathing heavily, until a kiss was placed between Rimmer's shoulder-blades. 

He shivered as Lister's breath ghosted past his ear. "Hold tight, Rimmer, because I'm going to rock your world." 

Rimmer felt the thin chain tug gently against his throat while Lister fastened it, that _something_ that had been awakened in the sex shop flaring to life once again. The chain was light as air, but Rimmer felt its weight deep in his chest and low in his gut, a feeling he'd never been able to articulate properly. 

His head dropped forward as Lister started to rub against his back, the rough clothes igniting his nerve endings. His fingertips clawed at the wall, but it was smooth with no anchoring points. "There's nothing to hold on _to_ ," he whined. His whine turned into a groan as Lister slowly licked his shoulder and fingertips circled his nipples, nails scraping just hard enough to feel _really_ good. 

Lister's thumbs massaged down his spinal column, starting at his hairline and going all the way to his tailbone, leaving him a quivering mass of needy flesh. " _Shit_ ," he hissed as Lister pressed against his ass, letting him feel how hard he was getting.

A sharp bite to his neck was accompanied by a dark chuckle. "Best brace yourself, Arnold. Spread your legs a bit." 

At Lister's nudging, Rimmer shifted his feet apart and locked his elbows, pushing himself away from the wall. He was already painfully hard and Lister had barely touched him. "You're going to kill me," he bemoaned as Lister knelt to nip at his right ass cheek.

"Nah," Lister assured him with a long, slow lick halfway up his spine, sending shockwaves of pleasure through his body. "I need you alive and well so we can keep doing this."

A stream of colorful curses accompanied Lister's sucking kisses, ragged nails, rough fingertips and sharp bites to every inch of his skin, except the one place Rimmer needed him to touch. His body was going into meltdown, the stimulation overloading his nerves as waves of arousal rose higher, threatening to drown him. 

By the time Lister was again kneeling behind him, tongue in the dip just above his ass, he'd come once and was on the edge again. 

"Smegging hell, _fuck me already_. _Please_ , David," he begged, his voice as shaky as his limbs. "I can't take any more. Ride me as hard as you want; make love to me until morning – I don't care. Just stop torturing meee—," his voice broke off in a high-pitched cry as he came a second time. 

He didn't know how Lister got him to their bed, but he was on his stomach, his face half-buried in the comforter as he drew in huge gulps of air. His body was still shaking from his second orgasm, yet he knew Lister hadn't come yet. As much as he wanted to drag Lister's climax out of him, kicking and screaming, he'd be lucky if he had the strength to keep his eyes open. 

He let out a pleased rumble as Lister covered his back, skin against skin with Lister's engorged cock sliding over his ass. 

"Making love until morning sounds good," Lister murmured before kissing his ear. 

"I'm yours," he mumbled, though he was too uncoordinated to help as Lister lifted his hips and prepared him. 

His muscles were still trembling slightly as Lister asked with a catch in his voice, "Ready for me, love?" 

He reached back and located Lister's thigh, giving it a squeeze. "Always." He breathed with the gentle pushes of Lister's hips, his energy returning as Lister sank deeper and deeper into him. 

"Smeg," he breathed out as he pushed back, causing renewed sensations to roll through him. He moaned softly as Lister stopped moving, as deep as he could go. _Full._ _Complete._ _Love._ An arm around his waist helped him roll to the side, shifting Lister's angle inside him, hitting that special place that left him seeing stars. "I love you, Dave," he gasped. 

Lister's voice was shredded as he replied, "Love you, Arnold." 

Rimmer shifted his left leg up the bed, giving Lister more room behind him. As Lister began slow, shallow thrusts, he gripped the comforter in his left hand to anchor himself. He was quickly losing his mind with the intensity of their lovemaking and needed that solidness beneath him. Tendrils of pleasure snaked through his body as Lister tweaked a nipple, twisted his hips just so and nibbled on his neck, but Rimmer couldn't get hard again. Not a third time. Not so soon after coming. Not – his groan was tinged with pain as he felt his untouched cock start to fill. 

His hips started moving of their own accord, pushing into the covers beneath him, overstimulated but unable to stop. "Killing me, Listy," he whispered and clutched at the sheets. Lister's hips were still barely moving; the smallest movements driving Rimmer insane. He had to remember to breathe as his body became one large conduit for Lister's exquisite torture.

"I'm nowhere near done with you, Arnold Rimmer," was Lister's reply as a fingernail dragged over his hard nipple. "I'm going to keep this up all night. Going to make you scream my name." 

His whimper turned to a wail as teeth worried the skin on the back of his neck, spiking the already unbearable pleasure even higher. He could only make inarticulate, needy sounds as gentle touches blended into firm, possessive strokes, leaving him a writhing, shaking mass of feeling. 

He felt hot tears slip down his cheeks as Lister changed the angle once again, dragging along his prostrate. Ecstasy was quickly morphing into pain, his body pushed to its breaking point. "Too much. I can't – can't… _please_ ," he implored on a ragged breath, even as his hips rocked back to meet Lister's increasing thrusts. " _Lister_!" 

A sob escaped as Lister slowed down, then another as he felt Lister pull almost completely out and stop all movement. 

Lister's voice was unrecognizable. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you? We'll stop if you need me to." 

Rimmer's heart was hammering in his throat as he struggled to catch his breath. The sweat rolling down his back was ice cold, in sharp contrast to Lister's heated skin. He was riding the razor's edge between agony and ecstasy, and never had he felt more alive. 

It took the remainder of Rimmer's strength to twist around to look at his lover, and it was all he could do not to cry out as he saw the lines of pain around Lister's mouth and eyes, the strain visible as he held himself back. But it was the look in Lister's eyes that devastated him – so much love, gratitude and desire shining in their depths for him. Only for him.

Knowing that Lister was reining in his lust; his desire; just to give _him_ pleasure gave Rimmer the strength to reach behind him and grasp Lister's hip. "For you, I'll do anything," he declared, his voice trembling with tension and love. He grit his teeth as he pulled Lister forward, securing his lover deep within him. 

Neither moved, hardly daring to breathe as they savored the intimate connection. 

"Don't do this for me, Arnold. If you want to stop, we'll stop. I won't hurt you," Lister murmured into his back. 

He swallowed thickly. This wasn't the rough, wild sex he was used to from Lister; this was agonizingly slow lovemaking taken to a new level of artistic perfection. Nothing Lister was doing was actually hurting him; his body, his nervous system, his _everything_ was simply too strung out on a euphoric high. "M'fine," he panted. "Overloaded on sensation. On you. So smegging close. Need you." 

He was caught off-guard by Lister pulling out of him, a hoarse cry sticking in his throat as just the tip penetrated him. Time slowed down; Rimmer could hear their harsh breaths, could swear he heard Lister's heartbeat over the pounding of his own. Then he heard nothing but the rush of his own blood as Lister grasped his cock and began to roughly stroke it. His body was vibrating to a tune only Lister knew, and one more note would bring the symphony to a tremendous, mind-blowing crescendo.

Without warning, Lister plunged into him, the dual assault sending his body into convulsions. He shook violently, screaming into the pillow as every single cell in his body ignited like a dying sun, then everything whited out. 

He couldn't draw a deep breath. He struggled to roll over but a heavy weight on his back was holding him down. Panic rose and his eyes flew open, only to see the dark red of their comforter. The panic subsided as he realized it was Lister on his back, either asleep or passed out. The rolling snore snuffled into his shoulder confirmed Lister's presence and he relaxed, letting his mind drift. 

His muscles were still warm, a pleased smile tipping up the corners of his mouth as the idle thought of thanking Lister whispered through his mind. Was it proper etiquette to thank someone for making you climax so hard that you were rendered unconscious? Or was the act of passing out enough of an ego boost? 

He chuckled softly to himself. Maybe he would do up a thank you card, much like the Father's Day cards that Lister crafted for himself. But should he send it to Lister or Lister's dad? He pressed his face into the comforter to stifle his chortling. Only he could fall in love with a son and father who were the same person – or was he only in love with one of them? He shook with repressed laughter. Just how many brain cells had Lister melted that he was even thinking such strange thoughts? 

His laughter settled down but the smile remained. He'd never imagined love feeling like this. He wanted to give so much back to Lister; show him just how much he'd changed Rimmer's life. Objects couldn't convey his feelings properly, and sappy cards couldn't do them justice. What he felt was so all-encompassing, he needed a grand show to even begin to scratch the surface of what Lister meant to him. 

It needed to be personal, not something that anyone could give him. It should have special meaning for Lister, yet it had to hold meaning for him, too. Maybe he should draw on something that had happened to them in the course of their relationship. They'd been through a lot, from Lister's slow seduction and infinite patience, to him overcoming his inhibitions, to their spectacular fights and equally spectacular make-up sex. 

He drifted to sleep with thoughts of what he could do for Lister at the back of his mind.


End file.
